Thousands stage carnival protest against Heathrow expansion

Thousands of protesters from around the world today staged a protest against expansion of Heathrow airport.

Stilt-walkers, brass bands and people in fancy dress were among the hundreds of protesters creating a carnival-like atmosphere for the event, called the Make-a-Noise Carnival.

The demonstrators walked from Hatton Cross to Sipson, the village near London that will be lost if plans for a third runway go ahead.

At Sipson, the protesters gathered in a field in the shape of a large "NO" intended to be visible from passing aircraft.

John McDonnell, the MP for Hayes and Harlington, who was among those leading the protest, said a third runway would cause "devastation".

"This demonstration will show the government the strength of feeling against Heathrow expansion not just from local people but from community organisations and environmental groups from across London and the whole country," he said.

Simpson locals fear the loss of as many as 4,000 homes if the expansion is approved. They also say more than 2 million people will be exposed to greater noise and air pollution.

Environmentalists say a third runway would contribute to global warming. The executive director of Greenpeace, John Sauven, who joined the march from Hatton Cross station to Sipson, said: "There is no need whatsoever for a third runway. If everybody took trains to Manchester, Paris, Scotland and Brussels, rather than flying, then a third runway would not need to be built.

The protest organiser, Tamsin Omond, had been expecting "tens of thousands" of people to join what she hoped would be the biggest ever protest against airport expansion in the UK.

But the Metropolitan police put the number of demonstrators at 3,000.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, sent a message of support. He said Christians were "stewards of God's creation … As such, we have a responsibility, both to God and to generations to come, to ensure that this remains a sustainable world."

The eastern and northern perimeter roads of the airport were closed during the march, as well as a lane on the eastbound A4.

Matthew Knowles, spokesman for the Society of British Aerospace Companies, said the protesters were ignoring the 70% cut in CO2 emissions per passenger that the industry had achieved over the past 50 years. He said it aimed to cut emissions and noise by a further 50% from 2000 levels by 2020.

"This protest … forgets that aviation makes up [only] 2% of global manmade CO2 emissions [along with] the huge contribution that flying makes to the economy and to people's quality of life through jobs and the opportunity to travel," he said.